Mad Pride

Calling it "Mad Pride", a group of mentally ill people is copying the tactics of the gay pride movement in order to destigmatize their disease.

About 5.7 million Americans over 18 have bipolar disorder, which is classified as a mood disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Another 2.4 million have schizophrenia, which is considered a thought disorder. The small slice of this disparate population who have chosen to share their experiences with the public liken their efforts to those of the gay-rights and similar movements of a generation ago.

Just as gay-rights activists reclaimed the word queer as a badge of honor rather than a slur, these advocates proudly call themselves mad; they say their conditions do not preclude them from productive lives.

Mad pride events, organized by loosely connected groups in at least seven countries including Australia, South Africa and the United States, draw thousands of participants, said David W. Oaks, the director of MindFreedom International, a nonprofit group in Eugene, Ore., that tracks the events and says it has 10,000 members.

RECENT mad pride activities include a Mad Pride Cabaret in Vancouver, British Columbia; a Mad Pride March in Accra, Ghana; and a Bonkersfest in London that drew 3,000 participants. (A follow-up Bonkersfest is planned next month at the site of the original Bedlam asylum.)

Dubya's Grand Sacrifice

Our ignoble leader has been making the ultimate sacrifice in honor of servicemen killed in Iraq. He has stopped playing golf.

Bush said in an interview out Tuesday that he quit playing golf in 2003 out of respect for the families of US soldiers killed in the conflict in Iraq, now in its sixth year. "I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," he said in an interview for Yahoo! News and Politico magazine.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them."

Uh, I can think of a better way to "show solidarity" with our soldiers.

Sisyphus Rolls On

She's $20M in debt, but after yesterday's win in West Virginia, Hillary still said, "I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaign. I am in this race because I believe I am the strongest candidate. ... I can lead this party to victory in the general election if you lead me to victory now."

Hey, wasn't everybody saying it was over last week?

More Ugly T-Shirt Activism

In Marietta, Georgia, a bar owner is selling a t-shirt depicting Barack Obama as Curious George, but is defending charges of racism by saying that Obama actually looks like the cartoon character.

Marietta bar owner Mike Norman says the T-shirts he's peddling, featuring a look-a-like of cartoon chimp Curious George peeling a banana, with "Obama in '08" underneath, are not meant to offend. Norman acknowledged the imagery's Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey. "We're not living in the (19)40's," he said. "Look at him . . . the hairline, the ears — he looks just like Curious George."

About a dozen protestors rallied against the shirts Tuesday afternoon, condemning them as racist and asking Norman, longtime proprietor of Mulligan's Bar and Grill on Roswell Street, to stop selling them. Marietta native Pam Lindley, 47, joined the protest after reading about the controversy online.

"I don't want people to think this is what Marietta is all about," she added, motioning towards the tavern. "This is what some people think the South is still like. Marietta's come a long way but I guess it's still got a little ways to go."

She said she'd like to see the city ban Norman's provocative musings regularly posted on a sign out front of the bar, which is near Marietta's downtown square. The loosely formed coalition of civil rights activists who gathered Tuesday say they will continue their campaign against Norman's "hate speech."

Proceeds from t-shirts sales are being donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I wonder if they'll accept the money? Outside of the obviously racist intent of the shirt, I'm annoyed that somebody is co-opting the left's habit of saying that Bush looks like a chimp. That's OUR schtick! And note this lovely sign this asshat has outside his bar.

Pam Spaulding notes that "racism isn't relegated only to a region south of the Mason-Dixon line. It's more about class and a population that has a base fear of further displacement and denial of their American dream by the "other," a seemingly ascendant population -- blacks -- who are going to somehow exact retribution on them via Barack Obama as president. I hate to break it to them, but white privilege will not be erased with the election of Barack Obama, and the ones who hoodwinked them out of the American dream were BushCo and the GOP."

And as far as the left goes, I'd add that all this happy happy joy joy that Obama's candidacy is emblematic of a "post-racial" America - well, that's just touchy-feely crapola. We're kidding ourselves of we think this Georgia jerk and the Jews Against Obama fuckwad aren't just the tip of the ugly iceberg approaching this election.

(Via - Pam's House Blend)

Butch Lesbian Wins Suit Against West Village Restaurant

Khadijah Farmer, the butch lesbian who was thrown out of a West Village restaurant after last year's Pride parade when she used the ladies room, has settled her suit against the restaurant. The bouncer had declared that Farmer was too masculine to be in the ladies room and refused to look at her identification, ejecting Farmer and her entire party.

"I was thrown out of the restaurant because of who I am and how I look," Farmer said at the time. "It was humiliating. No one should be subjected to that type of discrimination."

Represented by the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Farmer's lawsuit stated that Caliente engaged in illegal discrimination on the basis of gender expression in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law. It also alleged that the restaurant engaged in illegal sex stereotyping in violation of the New York State Human Rights Law.

As part of the settlement Caliente Cab Restaurant agreed to add gender, including gender identity and expression, to its corporate non-discrimination policy and to amend its employee handbook to state "persons patronizing or employed at Caliente have the right to use the bathroom facilities consistent with their gender identity and expression."

The company also agreed to institute personnel training programs regarding its new policies; adopt a gender-neutral dress code for its employees; and to pay $35,000 in damages to Farmer. "I'm very happy that the restaurant has taken appropriate steps to ensure that all patrons, regardless of how masculine or feminine they appear, are treated with dignity and respect," Farmer said at a press conference on Tuesday where the settlement was announced. "People come in all shapes and sizes, and they shouldn't be discriminated against because they don't match someone's expectations of how masculine or feminine they should be."

After Farmer's ejection from the restaurant became news, the Queer Justice League and others protested weekly outside the restaurant.

ACLU Wins Case Against Florida School

Via press release:

PANAMA CITY, FL – After a two-day trial in which a Florida high school principal testified that he believed clothing or stickers featuring rainbows would make students automatically picture gay people having sex, a federal judge today ruled that the school violated students’ First Amendment rights of students. The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a junior at the school who had been forbidden by her principal to wear any sort of clothing, stickers, buttons, or symbols to show her support of equal rights for gay people.

“Standing up to my school was really hard to do, but I’m so happy that I did because the First Amendment is a big deal to everyone,” said Heather Gillman, a junior at Ponce de Leon High School and the plaintiff in the case.

Judge Richard Smoak of the United States District Court, Northern District of Florida, Panama City Division, issued an order that forces the school to stop its unconstitutional censorship of students who want to express their support for the fair and equal treatment of gay people. The judge also warned the district not to retaliate against students over the lawsuit.

“Freedom of speech for every person and every idea is one of the bedrock principles on which America was founded,” said Christine Sun, a staff attorney with the ACLU national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project. “Censorship reflects a deep lack of faith in the American system, and it teaches students exactly the wrong lesson on what America is about. We are thrilled that the court in this case made the importance of students’ First Amendment rights so completely clear.”

Morning View - Mud Truck

The Mud Truck bills itself as "New York street coffee" and the "anti-establishment coffee of the East Village" and the hipsters I see crowded around it on Astor Place seem to agree. I think they recently added a second Mud Truck, unless I've just never noticed this one (above) parked at Sheridan Square.

To Veep Or Not To Veep

The Hill.com asked all the U.S. Senators if they'd like to be asked to be the running-mate. Some of the best answers:

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho)
“I would say ‘No, Hillary.’ ”

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
“I plan to stick with my current job until I get the hang of it.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)
“Once is enough. I already have the T-shirt and I’m proud of it. I yield to my colleagues.”

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
“If Hillary’s the nominee, Barack will be the running mate. If Barack’s the nominee, Hillary will be the running mate. That’s my answer.”

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)
“No. I don’t cut ribbons well or give eulogies at funerals.”

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
“No. I enjoy life too much.”

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
“If I were asked, I would say, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ ”

Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah)
“Of course. Big house, big car, not much to do. Why not?”

In The Heights Tops Tony Noms

The hip-hop and salsa musical In The Heights led today's Tony Award nominations with 13 nods. The revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center follows closely with 11 noms. Interestingly, four of the Best Play nominees got their start in London. The Tony Awards take place June 15th at Radio City Music Hall. Some of the major nominations:

Best Play: August: Osage County, The 39 Steps, Rock 'n' Roll, The Seafarer.

Best Musical: Cry-Baby, In The Heights, Passing Strange, Xanadu.

Best Score: Cry-Baby, In The Heights, Passing Strange, The Little Mermaid.

Best Leading Actor (Play): Ben Daniels (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Laurence Fishburne (Thurgood), Mark Rylance (Boeing-Boeing), Rufus Sewell (Rock 'n' Roll), Patrick Stewart (Macbeth).

Best Leading Actress (Play): Eve Best (The Homecoming), Deanna Dunagan (August: Osage County), Kate Fleetwood (Macbeth), S. Epatha Merkerson (Come Back, Little Sheba), Amy Morton (August: Osage County).

Best Leading Actor (Musical): Daniel Evans (Sunday In The Park With George), Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights), Stew (Passing Strange), Paulo Szot (South Pacific), Tom Wopat (A Catered Affair).

Best Leading Actress (Musical): Kerry Butler (Xanadu), Patti LuPone (Gypsy), Kelli O'Hara (South Pacific), Faith Prince (A Catered Affair), Jenna Russell (Sunday in the Park With George).

The gays are well represented as usual, with Douglas Carter Bean getting a nom for his book for Xanadu and the late Howard Ashman getting a posthumous nomination for The Little Mermaid. And this year there will be a special Lifetime Achievement Tony for Stephen Sondheim. There are doubtless more mo's on the list, point them out if you know them. But nothing this year for Cheyenne Jackson or Harvey Fierstein. Complete list of nominations.

King Of The Hill

The New York Times has posted a few of Barney Frank's best bon mots in a column describing him as Capitol Hill's "master of the one-liner."

Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, is a master of the one-liner — a self-described “left-handed, gay Jew” who is not accustomed to being in the majority on anything and yet is one of the most powerful members of Congress. Here are some examples, customarily delivered rapid-fire in his trademark accent, a New Jersey-Boston blend.

MARCH 11 “Mr. Speaker, a parliamentary inquiry. Mr. Speaker, is blatant hypocrisy a violation of the rules of the House?”

Responding to Republican complaints that Democrats had extended the voting period for 15 minutes to win approval of a bill creating an independent House ethics office. In 2003, the Republicans once extended the voting period for three hours to get their desired outcome.

NOV. 7, 2007 “I am grateful for the obscurity of the opposition’s argument.”

In a debate over the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, a bill to prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation.

JULY 18, 2006 “So, apparently, same-sex marriage is the V8 juice of America.”

During a debate over a “marriage protection” amendment, Mr. Frank said he did not understand Republican arguments that gay marriages would undermine traditional marriages, as if happily married men in Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas and Mississippi, learning that same-sex marriage was legal in Massachusetts, would smack themselves in the head and declare, “Wow, I could have married a guy.”

SEPT. 11, 1986 “I am afraid that this bill is becoming the legislative equivalent to crack. It’s going to give people a short-term high, but it is going to be dangerous in the long run to the system and expensive to boot.”

During debate on a bill authorizing $4 billion for the war on drugs, and allowing the military to protect the nation’s borders from drug traffickers.

MARCH 6, 1984 “Well, if this is a Christian nation, how come some poor Jew has to get up at 5:30 in the morning to preside over the House of Representatives?”

Mr. Frank, in an interview describing his reaction when Representative Marjorie S. Holt, Republican of Maryland, declared America to be a Christian nation during an all-night debate over school prayer. Mr. Frank, who is Jewish, was presiding as the speaker pro tem.

Proposed: Gun Cams For NY Cops

A New York state Senator has proposed providing cops with miniatures cameras attached to their guns which would turn on whenever the gun is unholstered. The technology has been around for awhile, but recent cases like NYC's Sean "50 Shot" Bell shooting have renewed calls for its implementation.

In a flash, a police officer draws a handgun from its holster. Less than two seconds later, a red laser and bright light shine at whatever is in the gun barrel's path while a mini-camera records it all.

That's how mini-cams on police handguns would work under a proposal gaining support in New York, which would be the first state in the nation to require the technology. State police were briefed on the technology and are reviewing it for a possible pilot program, said Michael Balboni, the state's deputy secretary for public safety. The device could create a critical visual and audio record of police shootings for use in court, said state Sen. Eric Adams, a Brooklyn Democrat and former police officer. He is drumming up support for testing the cameras with the state police SWAT squad.

Adams said recordings from the $695 cameras couldn't be altered by a police officer and would quell many questions after controversial police shootings, like the deaths in New York City of Amadou Diallo in 1999 and Sean Bell in 2006.

$695 per camera versus how many hundreds of millions paid in wrongful death suits? Although I can see some cops arguing that the presence of the cameras might cause them to fatally hesitate.

Project Dumbway

NYC-based fashion designer Doron Braunschtein has launched a line of "Jews Against Obama" shirts. From his press release:

“I am a true anti-Obama New York Jew. The word on the street is that New York Jews will vote for McCain anyhow. The majority of the Jews - at least the ones that are proud of their religion and practice it - like me, don’t want to see Obama- a man who’s middle name is Hussein, and his family from his Kenyan father’s side is Muslim, as the leader of this great country. More than that, after Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright, honored Louis Farrakhan- definitely one of the most racist and anti-Semitic people alive - Obama lost us Jews totally. That made me start this political movement in the first place.”

According to Braunschtein, the shirts are doing "brisk business."

(Via - JMG reader Christian)

ACLU Opens Case Against Florida School

In a case that I first mentioned here in February, the ACLU has made its opening arguments in its challenge of a Florida high school that prevented a student from wearing items in support of gay rights.

A Florida high school is "trampling the First Amendment rights of students who support equal rights for gay people", a federal judge was told on Monday. Heather Gillman, a 16-year-old junior at Ponce de Leon High School, is suing the school after she was told she could not wear buttons, stickers or cl0thing that supported LGBT civil rights.

After she received the warning the ACLU last November sent a letter in November to the school board’s attorney on behalf of Gillman, asking for clarification as to whether a variety of symbols and slogans, such as the rainbow flag or “I support my gay friends,” would be allowed at the school.

The school district replied that it would not allow any expressions of support for gay rights at all because such speech would "likely be disruptive." The district then said that such symbols and slogans were signs that students were part of a "secret/illegal organization." according to the ACLU.

ACLU attorney Benjamin James Stevenson: "Because the Supreme Court has held that students have a right to free speech at school unless that speech disrupts the educational process, many administrators think they can just slap the label ‘disruptive’ on anything they don’t like and get away with stomping on students’ First Amendment rights." The ACLU is requesting an injunction to stop the school from suppressing free speech in the future.

Preventing Puberty In Transgender Kids

Via NPR:

A small group of doctors around the world have introduced a controversial approach to the treatment of preteens and teenagers who believe they are the opposite sex. Right before puberty begins, they prescribe children hormone-blocking medication. This allows the child to continue growing without developing physical characteristics such as breasts, facial hair or Adam's apples. Later, the child can elect to resume their natural puberty development or can begin a gender transition by taking the sex hormones of the opposite sex.

Researchers in the Netherlands pioneered this treatment. Its prevalence in the United States is unclear, because most physicians using this approach keep it secretive. NPR talked with two doctors about the treatment's benefits and risks: one who practices it in the United States and another from the United Kingdom, where the treatment is not practiced by the National Health Service.

According to a study quoted in the article, 80% of the children who did not take part in the puberty-delaying program did not pursue sexual reassignment surgery as adults.

Swag Winners

Here are some of our recent swag winners:

David (left) in Boston won the tickets to the Boy George concert at Terminal 5, saying, "Great excuse to get back to NYC after leaving the Bronx a year ago...thanks."

Monique in Chicago won the tickets to the True Colors Tour, saying, "Suffice to say I'm SO excited to go to the Chicago show (even though it's in the middle of my fucking midterm exams), and thank you."

Ian in Napa, CA won Joel Derfner's new book, Swish, saying, "Total score! I'm excited, thanks for randomly choosing me. "

Marriage Ban Heads To Arizona Senate

After being approved yesterday by Arizona's House of Representatives, an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment is headed for the the state Senate. If approved there, the amendment will become a ballot measure in the general election in November.

The proposed amendment defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The measure has had a roller coaster ride in House. Earlier this month, just before the House was to vote Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D) added a clause to the bill that would grant unmarried couples, both same and opposite-sex, many of the rights of marriage but without the name. With the additional clause in place the House voted 28-27 to give the measure preliminary approval. The bill's chief sponsor in the House, Jim Weiers (R), angrily denounced the maneuver and dropped the bill from a final vote saying the change in the bill made the ban on gay marriage meaningless. Weiers then re-introduced his original bill. The House approved it last Tuesday on a voice vote without discussion.

A much broader amendment that would have banned not only gay marriage but civil unions and all governmental domestic partners benefits was defeated at the polls in Arizona in 2006. Arizona's Supreme Court has already upheld its current law limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

Private Idaho

Via the Idaho Press-Tribune:

Homosexual and heterosexual students should have separate bathrooms and showers in Idaho schools, a Wilder Republican running for the Idaho House said Friday. Walt Bayes, who gained notoriety two years ago by going on an anti-abortion hunger strike that lasted 59 days, said he wasn’t sure how the issue could be handled other than providing different facilities for gay and straight students in schools.

The topic came up after Bayes mentioned it in his campaign literature, where he wrote, “It is absolutely wrong to force any student to share the same bathrooms and showers with homosexual teachers or students.” Bayes is a 70-year-old retired blue-collar worker and farmer. None of the three Republicans running in the Tuesday, May 27 primary against him agrees with his position.

Beware of the pool, Walt.

Morning View - The Keller Hotel

At the corner of Barrow and West in the West Village, the Keller Hotel opened in 1898 as lodging for sailors moored on Manhattan's west side. Closed for almost a couple of decades, last year it was declared a landmark by the city in response to the "Campaign To Save The Far West Village." The Keller is among over 100 west side properties owned by the late Richard Gottlieb, whose habit of never renovating his buildings is considered to have inadvertently aided preservation efforts.

A reader tipped me that this was the site of Keller's Bar, reputed to have been NYC's first leather bar. Image via History Of Gay Bars In NYC. My buddy Superdaddy Mark has a great remembrance of Keller's on his blog. Here's an excerpt:

It was a small, rather plain room, shaped like a shoebox. A door, with a window on each side. A rough wooden bar that ran the length of the room on the left. A pool table and jukebox on the right. A few strings of Christmas lights and dozens of handsome men crammed inside. The jukebox featured a mix of current soul and rock, along with the Ronettes singing "Walking In The Rain" and the Shirelles essaying "Chains". Later "Shame, Shame, Shame" would play incessantly, as the patrons danced in place, and the bartender hollered in faux-annoyance.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the promoters, today's Swag Tuesday giveaway is 37 Notebooks, the new album from Jeremy Schonfeld and a supporting cast of Broadway stars.

37 Notebooks is Jeremy Schonfeld's follow-up recording to Drift and Blue Skies & All. Compared to Billy Joel and Jonathan Larson by the New York Times, Jeremy pulls together a veritable who's who of Broadway performers on this album.

Guest artists lending their vocal talents include: Shoshana Bean (Wicked), Luther Creek (Flight of the Conchords), Julie Danao-Salkin(Lennon), Jarrod Emick (Tony Award Winner for Damn Yankees), Donnie Kehr (Jersey Boys), Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot ); Julia Murney (Wicked), Adam Pascal (Rent), Kate Shindle (Legally Blonde), Amy Spanger (Kiss Me, Kate), and Tracie Thoms (Rent: The Movie).

A graduate of the Berklee College of Music and BMI Lehman-Engel Musical Theater Workshop, Schonfeld’s recent performances include B.B. King’s; Lincoln Center; CBGBs; Joe’s Pub; and as an opening act for James Taylor.

You can preview the tracks of the album on Schonfeld's MySpace page. Enter to win your copy of 37 Notebooks by commenting on this post. Enter only once and please remember to leave an email address that you check frequently. Publicists: if you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Cativersary

I am a bad daddy because I totally forgot to mention that the one year anniversary of Shelley's adoption was two weeks ago. Bad daddy, bad!

Daily Ungrumble

Perhaps it's not very bloggerish of me to mention a good experience with a business, but I was quite pleased with 1-800-Flowers yesterday. The bouquet I sent my mother actually looked nicer than in the online photo and when the local florist making the delivery didn't find her at home, they tracked her down by phone and made the delivery at my sister's house. Maybe the good service was more the work of the Orlando florist than 1-800-Flowers, but everybody is happy.

SNL Spoofs Hillary Again

Almost too easy.

It's Only A Flesh Wound